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No. s|s,|3|. Patented Dec. 20,1898. F. F. McAFEE.

BEDSTEAD.

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No. 6l6,l3|. Patented Dec. 20, I898. F. F. McAFEE.

"BEDST EAD.'

(Application flleA Oct. 26, 1 897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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FRANK F. MOAFEE, OF NIHV YORK, N. Y.

BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,131, dated December 20, 1898.

Application filed October 26, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK F. MOAFEE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Bedsteads, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in bedsteads; and it consists in the novel mechanical construction and arrangement of certain parts thereof hereinafter fully described.

Among the main objects of my invention is the following: the provision in an iron bedstead of detachable side rails made reversible, this reversible capacity affording a means whereby bythe use of slats bed-sprin gs of any pattern or of smaller dimensions than ordinarily intended for the bedstead may be used. At the present day iron bedsteads are provided with side rails the uppersurfaces of which are flat, and are hence not capable of securely holding slats, as no means is pro- Vided to prevent the same from slipping endwise. By the means hereinafter described it will be seen that the side-rails may be so placed in the bedstead as to present a smooth upper surface, in which event the spring is held or supported chiefly at the head and foot of the bedstead, or the rails may be reversed to present recessed upper surfaces adapted to receive slats and prevent their endwise slipping, which slats may support a spring too small to be supported by the rectangularframe of the bedstead.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction possessing the above capacities which shall be simple in operation, inexpensive as to construction, and effective and durable as to use and wear.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a bedstead. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a detail. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a detail. Fig. 418 a crosssection of a detail. Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of a detail, showing reversed position thereof. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a detached side rail. Figs. 8 and 9 are each perspective views of the holding means for said side rail. Fig. 10 illustrates a modification.

A is the head portion of a bedstead. B is the foot.

D D are side rails, by preference formed of Serial No. 656,441. (No model.)

' angle-iron, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 4.

At each end of each side rail D is provided a set of tapered dovetailed projections E E.

A is a retaining-shoulder, the same being provided at each end of the head portion A and in line with the side rails D. A corresponding retaining-shoulder B is provided at each end of the foot portion 13 and in like manner in line with said side rails.

F F are tapered dovetailed or undercut recesses corresponding substantially in shape to the projections E E on the side rail and cooperating with the same to engage and support said side rail.

F F are parallel-sided recesses arranged alongside of the recesses F in the supportingshoulders A B.

The projections E E at each end of the side rail are arranged in reverse positionthat is, at one end of the rail D (shown inFig. 7) the projection E tapers downwardly, while the projection E tapers upwardly. In the same view at the opposite end of the rail D the proj cations are similarly arranged, excepting that they are reversed as to their lateral position that is, the projections E are on diagonally opposite ends of the bed-rail, and the same is true of the projections E.

Referring particularly to Fig. 8, the recess F in the supporting-shoulder A tapers downwardly and is, viewed from in front, the righthand recess.

Referring to Fig. 9, the undercut recess F tapers downwardly and is likewise, when viewed from in front, the right-hand recess. Thus when the head and foot are placed into position for receiving the side rail the undercut downwardly-tapered recesses F are diagonally opposed, and hence the parallel-sided recesses F are diagonally opposed. The width of the parallel-sided recesses F is sufficient to allow the projections E E to be slipped therein, the broadest end first.

In assembling the; parts either end of the side rail D may he slipped into place in the recessed end of the retaining-shoulder A or B, so that the angle in the side rail may be presented uppermost, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, or the flat surface of the side rail may be presented uppermost, as indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 6. In the former case slats may be slipped into place and prevented from end wise slipping by the presence of the upright outer edge of the side rail. Upon these slats a bed-spring of any desired size or pattern may be supported. Should the bed-spring be of suflicient length to receive its support in the spirit of my invention the arrangementof the projections and recesses throughout may be reversed, so that the left-hand projection at each end of the rail will take into a correspondingly-tapered undercut recess.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10 I have indicated the parallel-sided recess F as undercut to correspond with the broader end of the projection adapted to be received thereby. By this means both projections at each end of the bed-rail will coact with the shoulders at each end thereof in providing a joint having practically double the capacity of preventing lateral play or displacement.

W'hat I claim is- 1. In a bedstead, side rails, a plurality of projections at each end thereof, the projections at each end being dovetailed and tapered in opposite directions, the set of projections at one end of the rail being arranged revcrsely from the set of projections at the opposite end, ahead and foot portion, shoulders thereon, and a tapered undercut recess in each of said shoulders to receive its correspondingly-shaped side-rail projection.

2. In a bedstead, side rails, a plurality of projections at each end thereof, the projections at each end being undercut and tapered in opposite directions, the set of projections at one end of the rail being arranged reversely from the set of projections at the opposite end, a head and foot portion, shoulders thereon, a plurality of undercut recesses in each of said shoulders to coact with the projections upon the ends of the bed-rails, one of said recesses in each set being downwardly tapered. V

3. In a bedstead, a rail having reverselyarranged tapering tenons,and a support therefor having a socket to fit one of the said tenons, anda second socket to hold the other tenon.

4. In combination, a reversible rail and a support forthe same, one of said parts having laterally separated and reversely arranged tapering devices and the other of said parts having a tapering device adapted to engage one of said tapering devices on the other part, a tapering device on one part being in the form of a projection and a tapering device on the other part being in the form of a slot.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 23d day of October, 1897.

' FRANK F. MGAFEE.

lVitnesses:

R. G. MITCHELL, L. VREELAND. 

